"FIAT LUX" 



(Let There Be Light) 



A MODERN MYSTERY PLAY 



In One Act 



By 
FAITH VAN VALKENBURGH VILAS 



Copyright, 1920, by Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas 
Copyright, 1922, by Samuel French 



Amateurs may produce this play without payment 
of royalty. All other rights reserved. 



NEW YORK 

SAMUEL FRENCH 

Publisher 
28-30 West 38th Street 



LONDON 

SAMUEL FRENCH, Ltd. 

26 Southampton Street 
Strand 



f^ 






GREENWICH VILLAGE THEATRE 

Wednesday Afternoon, Dec. 28th, at 3 o'clock 

The Inter Theatre Arts, Inc. 

Pi^esents 

"FIAT LUX" 

A Modern Mystery Play by 

Faith Van Valkenburgh Vilas 

Cast 

Azariah James W. Wallace 

Father Ambrose Hobart Upjohn 

Nellie Elsie Connor 

Soldier Watson Lee 

The Waits Ascension Junior Choir 

Scene: Living room of Azariah's house on 
Christmas Eve. 

Time : Christmas Eve. 



OCT 16 22 

C'-O G2492 



*V, 



'■ I 



FIAT LUX" 

(Let There Be Light) 



Scene : The interior of a humble one-room cot- 
tage on a mountainside. A fire burns in 
open fireplace L. Center stage a practical 
door. At L. c. and R. C, windoius rimmed 
ivith snoiv. Another door L. Deal table 
and chairs R. Oval portrait of a tvoman 
over fireplace; on mantel shelf tivo empty 
candle-sticks. Teapot on lotv settle by fire. 
At rise of curtain the distant chiming of 
church bells is heard across the snoiv. 
AzARiAH, old, embittered and lonely, enters 
from inner room at the right, placing logs 
ivhich he carries on the fire. 

AZARIAH 

Fools, fools, fools! 

With their prayers and their incense and their 

God. 
If I could 
I would silence their loud mouthed bells forever. 

{He goes to windoiv R. and looks out) 
Candles burning at all the windows in the 

valley. 
Two windows shall be dark tonight — 
Mine — 

(Sound of chimes again) 
Curse those bells ! Curse them, curse them ! 

(He sinks into chair by fire and sits moodily, 

3 



4 FIAT LUX 

. his hands working nervously. A step is 
heard crunching through the snoiv. Then 
a knock, stamping of snow from feet. 
AZARIAH looks up, but makes no move. 
Another knock, silence.) 

Ambrose 

(From ivithout) 
It is Father Ambrose. 
Will you not let me in? 

AZARIAH 

{Still seated) 
What do you want of me? 

Ambrose 

A little warmth, 

And just a word or two. 

AZARIAH 

I do not care for words with anyone tonight. 
Nor have I any warmth to spare. 

Ambrose 

Then let me in for old times' sake. 

For the days when we were boys together. 

AZARIAH 

{Going slowly to door and opening it) 
I know what it is you want of me. 



FIAT LUX 5 

But I can tell you frankly 

It is of no avail, your visit here tonight. ■ 

No words of yours can change me, 

(Cynically) 
Father Ambrose. 

(Father Ambrose has come in carrying a 
lighted lantern, luhich he places on table. 
He is a benign man in the habit of religion. 
He lifts his hand to make the sign of the 
cross.) 

Ambrose 

God be with you. 

AZARIAH 

{Striking doivn lifted hand) 
No. 

Do not call for the blessing of your God 
Upon this house. 

Ambrose 

Though you deny Him, oh my brother, 
Still is He near you. 

AZARIAH 

Not here, 
Nor anywhere. 

(Solemnly) 
There is no God. 

Ambrose 

(Rubbing his cold hands before the fire and 
drawing up a chair.) 



6 FIAT LUX 

Still so embittered. 

How I hoped the days 

As they lessened your first sorrow 

Would bring a healing to your stricken heart. 

Would bring back to your eyes 

Whose perfect vision the tears have blurred 

The power once more to see the beauty of His 

handiwork, 
To feel again the comfort of His sympathy. 
Your old belief is only stunned by sorrow, 

brother ; 
It will some day rewaken. 

AZARIAH c=. 

(Stands looking cynically at Ambrose) 
You, a man of reason. 
You who should be so wise, so wise. 
Do you still truly believe in a divinity? 
In an Almighty Father? 

Ambrose 

I have never doubted. 

AZARIAH 

You who well know how grimly 

Brother slaughtered brother. 

Staining the earth with innocent young blood. 

You who watched our boys march by in pride 

and strength 
Never to return. 
You who have heard the enemy's shout of 

triumph. 
And seen the women and children starved to 

death 



FIAT LUX 7 

Or saved for a fate that would make death a 

benison, 
You who know all the unspeakable side of war, 
Can you still think there is a Father in Heaven? 
Would you or I 

(Lashing himself into fury) 
I say, would you or I 
Treat our own children so? 
If there is a God in Heaven 
His heart is made of stone, 
But I prefer 
To think there is no God. 

Ambrose 
(Gently) 
I know how deeply you have suffered. 
I know that one by one 
Your dearest have been taken. 
But still I reckon as your greatest loss 
The loss of your belief. 

AZARIAH 

I once believed, it's true. 

I paid my toll in prayers and in devotion. 

On every Christmas eve the candles burned as 

brightly 
In my poor mountain windows 
As any that send out their glow from valley 

homes tonight. 
The Christmas waits were welcome, 
And they sang to open hearts before my 

friendly fire. 
But now 
I do not wish 
Ever to hear their hymns of praise again. 



8 FIAT LUX 

Ambrose 

I cannot bring you back your dead, 

But I must try to bring you back your faith. 

AZARIAH 

My dead, 
My dead. 

{Steps close to fire-place, leaning his head on 

his hands, his shoulders convulsed. Then 

looking up) 
Oh Mary, 

If you could come back to tell me it is true, 
That God exists out where you are. 
That He has pity, 
That He has compassion. 
But no, you cannot come to me. 
You cannot come. 

Ambrose 

There are worse things than death, my friend. 

AZARIAH 

Yes, 

Suffering, 

It is worse. 

The little daughter Mary left behind soon 

taught me that. 
Her poor frail body, warped and twisted. 
Her face, her soul of angel beauty. 
Patient and sweet she always was. 
But how she suffered, 
And I with her. 



FIAT LUX 9 

It was then I doubted first. 

Not after Mary left perhaps, 

But then, then, 

What Heavenly Father, 

What divine love, 

Could inflict such agony upon such innocence? 

When I sat here 

And listened to her little crutch tap-tapping on 

the floor, 
Each tap of it 

Sank deeper in my aching heart, 
And I would long to cry aloud, 
"There is no heavenly compassion." 
And when she died 
I spoke the bitter words at last. 

Ambrose 

I know how you have suff'ered, friend, I know. 

AZARIAH 

How can you know 

Who have no ties of blood? 

Ambrose 

And still I know 

And long to ease your pain. 

AZARIAH 

No son of yours was shot down in all his 

strength and beauty. 
You cannot know the grief I felt 



10 FIAT LUX 

When word came back to me of David's — 
going. 

Ambrose 

(Moved) 
He was a good — brave boy. 

AZARIAH 

Yes, 

He was brave. 

Among the first to answer. 

And he marched forth in the fresh bloom of 

manhood 
Only to fall broken and crushed and bleeding. 
And you still can talk to me of a divine and 

pitying father. 
It is all lies — and lies — and lies. 

Ambrose 

I know that you have walked the path of 

sorrow. 
Alone you stumble down the darkened way 
Bruising your tired feet. 
I offer you a light, my friend ; 
I feel you are more lonely than you need to be. 
I want to stand beside you. 
But I did not mean tonight to reawaken grief, 
To speak to you of death, 
Rather have I come to ask help for the living. 

AZARIAH 

What help? 



FIAT LUX 11 

Ambrose 

It is a simple thing I ask. 

You know of the time honored custom in our 
valley, 

That from each window a bright star of candle- 
light 

Shall make a pathway in the snow 

On this the eve of the Nativity. 

Will you not hght your windows? 

AZARIAH 

After all that I have said 
You still can ask me that? 

Ambrose 

Your little cottage stands alone 

And high above the valley with its twinkling 

lights. 
The candles in your windows here would guide 

the waits 
Who pass tonight across the hill 
To sing in the new settlement upon the ridge. 
Surely for humanity 
If not for any dearer sake, 
You'll light these candles? 

{Draws tivo from his pocket) 
They are of my own dipping. 

(AZARIAH refuses them, shaking his head, 
and Ambrose places them on the table.) 

AZARIAH 

{Pushing them from him) 
No light 



12 FIAT LUX 

Shall glow from out my house tonight. 

Ambrose 

Yours will be the only darkened panes in all 
the countryside. 

AZARIAH 

Let them be dark, 

For in my soul 

There is not any light at all. 

Ambrose 

The waits may not come in to warm tnem- 

selves? 
Yours is the last house 
And the wind is chill. 

AZARIAH 

Neither the waits, 

Nor you. 

Nor yet your great Jehovah 

{Cue for carolling) 
Are welcome here tonight. 
Unless 

Ambrose 
Unless? 

Ambrose 
Unless He sends my children back 



FIAT LUX 13 

To tell me that their anguish 
Has not been in vain. 

Ambrose 

Alas the dead do not return. 

And yet to the Almighty all is possible. 

(Voices of tvaits are heard in the distance 

carolling. They groiv louder. Ambrose 

moves to door, picking up his lantern. 

AzARiAH turns his back and looks into 

fire.) 
Will you not let them in? 

AZARIAH 

They may not enter here. 

Ambrose 

My heart bleeds for you, oh my brother. 

{He opens the door, stands m it a moment 
maki7ig the sign of the cross.) 
May God bring you the light. 

(Exit) 

Azariah 

(Turning in anger) 
There is no God. 
And there shall be no light. 

(Goes to the fire, tries to extinguish it with his 
foot. Voices grow fainter as the ivaits go 
over the mountain. Azariah sits brood- 
ing by the darkened hearth, where only a 



14 FIAT LUX 

feeble glow remains. A noise is heard of 
someone stumbling on the door-step. A 
hand fumbles with the latch, and a gentle 
voice speaks.) 

Lame Girl 
Oh let me in, 
Please let me in. 

(AZARIAH listens, gets up, peers out of luindow 
c. Voice as before, repeats. He opens 
door and the Lame Girl enters, moving 
2cit]i pain and difficulty. She is dressed in 
a light, straight gown covered by a mantel. 
She gloivs ivith an unearthly light. She 
sinks into chair by the fire and speaks 
pantingly in a stveet, clear voice.) 

Lame Girl 

I am so lame. 

And they walked oh ! so fast. 

My one poor crutch caught in the snow and 
broke to bits, 

And now I am afraid I shall not find my friends 
again. 

And I so long to join in their glad songs to- 
night. 

AZARIAH 

You too are lame, 

Do you then suffer much? 

Lame Girl 

Oh yes, but I try to forget, 

And tonight I quite forgot even my lameness. 



FIAT LUX 15 

It is so beautiful and serene out there in the 

open, 
God's stars seem quite, quite close at hand. 
It is almost as light as day. 
It was only here among your dark trees that I 

lost my way. 
It is all hushed 
And waiting, 
Just as it must have been on that night so long 

ago 
When the kings 
Journeyed to the manger. 

AZARIAH 

You are lame and you suffer cruelly, 
Even as my little daughter suffered. 
But still you think there is a God? 

Lame Girl 

It is because I suffer 
That I know there is a God. 

AZARIAH 

How can that be? 

Lame Girl 

I think a person who has never suffered 

Has not truly lived. 

It is through suffering that we learn of the 

most lovely things in life. 
We learn the warmth of pity. 
The touch of tender ministering fingers. 



16 FIAT LUX 

And above all, 

We learn of selflessness. 

AZARIAH 

To suffer 

Is to die a thousand deaths. 

Lame Girl 

Only to be born anew each time. 

AZARIAH 

Suffering mars and sears, 

It draws deep furrows on the face. 

Lame Girl 

But how beautiful and how strong it is. 
The face that has accepted sorrow bravely. 
A face unlined 
Is like a blank unwritten page. 

AZARIAH 

You can believe then 
In a God 

Who wilfully inflicts such suffering upon the 
innocent ? 

Lame Girl 

God our Father sends us suffering it is true, 
Suffering is our teacher. 

If you had a little child would you not wish it 
wise? 



FIAT LUX 17 

Though the task was difficult the teacher set, 
You would look only to the future, 
To the time when, the schooling over. 
Your child would come into its own through 

knowledge. 
So it is with our Father in Heaven. 
He makes our souls grow wise and strong 
Through suffering — 
Wise and strong, 
And oh so full of understanding pity. 

AZARIAH 

He makes our souls grow strong through suffer- 
ing. 
Oh if I only dared believe it. 

Lame Girl 

Ah but you must believe. 

For it is true, 

My life has proven it. 

(She rises, holding onto the chair) 
But now that I am rested I must go. 

(Looks out through window) 
How shall I find my way? 
Your trees are shadowy, 
I cannot see the path. 

(AzARiAH sits dazed thinking of what she 
has said. She reaches her arms out to him 
ivith a gesture of affection, ivhich he does 
not see. Then fioticing the candles on the 
table and, the candle-sticks on the mantle) 
May I not light this candle 
And put it in the window by the door? 
(She does so) 



18 FIAT LUX 

Now I can see the path quite well 

And it will guide me on my way into the open. 

AZARIAH 

(Rousing and going to her) 

You are so like my little girl, 

In stature and in voice, 

Your lameness is so like, 

It makes a bond between us. 

You say you broke your crutch ; 

Wait. {He goes to the fireside and takes a 
crutch lovingly in his arms, speaking ivith 
great emotion. Hands it to her. She tvith- 
draivs a bit from him. She is super- 
natural, but he does not realize it) 

Here take this, 

It was my little daughter's crutch. 

If you can use it you are welcome. 

Lame Girl 

(Taking crutch and putting it under her arm) 
It is just right. 
Oh now how quickly I shall find my friends 

again. 
God bless you, and good-night. 

(Exit) 

(AZARIAH stands at the open door watching her, 
closes the door, goes to the ivindoiv. Shad- 
ing his eyes from the candle, he peers out 
into the night. Then slowly comes back to 
the fire and sits.) 

AZARIAH 

He makes our souls grow strong 




"Fiat Lux" 



See page 18 



FIAT LUX 19 

Through suffering, 

(One approaches ivhistUng a tune, "Long, 
Long Trail," gaily, steps on porch; a 
knock is heard) 
Well. 

(Pause; another knock) 
What is it? 

Soldier 
{From witJioiit) 
A bit of warmth and a light. 

AZARIAH 

(Going slowly to doer and opening it) 
Come in. 

Soldier 

(Enters stamping and shaking snoiv from his 
uniform. There is aii ominous but old 
stain over Ids left breast) 
I'm on my way to join the carolling. 
I've not been back 
Since — 
Since the war. 

I ami not quite as strong as I had hoped. 
See (pointing to ivound) this is my difficulty. 
I lost my way out there among your trees, 
And stumbled, 

And my croix-de-guerre fell in the deep snow. 
If I may catch my breath and have a light 
No doubt I shall soon find it 
And go on across the hill. 

(Warming his hands before fire) 
I am so loath to miss the carolling tonight. 

AZARIAH 

You wish to join the carolling, 
You who have ccme from war? 



20 FIAT LUX 

Soldier 

That's just tne reason why 

I long to sing tonight. 

I learned the dear companionship of song 

Out there. 

AZARIAH 

Do you believe in God? 

Soldier 
Of course. 

AZARIAH 

You can believe? 

You whose own eyes have seen the horrors 

And the wreck of war? 

You who have seen the men about you slain 

And all for nothing? 

Soldier 

Oh don't say that my friend. 
It was not all for nothing. 

AZARIAH 

Our young men slain by thousands, 
And no victory. 

Soldier 

Well, after all, the victory meant little. 
What did mean much 



FIAT LUX 21 

Was how each one faced death. 

I used to think that God was nearer us 

Out on the battlefield 

Than in our quiet church at home. 

AZARIAH 

How can He be 

Where brother slaughters brother, 

Where mothers' sons are slain by mothers' 

sons? 
Where enemies can triumph? 

Soldier 

We learn out there our Heavenly Father has 

no enemies, 
Nor does He ever side with anyone. 
He is a friend of all. 
The humble and the mighty, 
And in the midst of battle He is there to help 

us meet death bravely. 
It counts with Him, oh ! not at all, 
When or how young we die ; 
Whether the victor or the vanquished. 
But it does count with Him 
How we meet death. 
And He is there beside us 
To help us meet it bravely. 
With head erect — 
Singing — 
We march into the Valley of Shadows. 

AZARIAH 

He has no enemies, you say? 



22 FIAT LUX 

Soldier 

None. 

We are all His children. 

Sometimes we too forgot that we had enemies. 

Why I remember when this wound was new 

And 1 had fallen on the battlefield, 

Beside me lay a soldier — 

You would perhaps have called him enemy — 

Wounded he was, 

A mortal wound I think. 

He offered me his flask with its last drop of 

water. 
"Drink it," he whispered, "for I may live until 

they come, 
"But you alas are dying." 
But let us talk no more of war, 
For I forget that time is passing, 
And I will be too late to lift my voice in praise 

tonight. 
(Goes toivards lighted candle) 
May I not put this candle in the other window? 

AZARIAH 

No, do not touch it. 

It is to guide a lame girl. 

Take this one. 

{He takes the candle and places it in the 
candle-stick on ma7itel and lights it; hands 
it to S0U)1ER ivho stands ivith it in his 
hands so that the light falls across his face 
as he speaks.) 

Soldier 

God bless you friend. 

And bear this thing in mind: 




"Fiat Lux" 



See page 22 



FIAT LUX 23 

God cares not when we go or how 
If we go bravely. 

(Puts candle in the other window, opens the 
door) 
Thank you, and good-night. 

{Exit) 

AZARIAH 

Good-night. 

(Follows to the door, reaches out his hand to 
take Soldier's hands, but latter withdraivs 
from contact; he is supernatural. AZARIAH 
stands leaning against open door.) 

God cares not when we go nor how 

If we go bravely. 

Oh he was brave, my David. 

I know that he went — 

Singing. 

Soldier 

(Calls from distance) 
I've found the cross, thank you, 
And once more, good-night. 

AZARIAH 

Good-night. 

(Walks slowly towards the fire) 
Strange, strange, 

I feel a sudden glow within my heart. 
My lighted windows first 
And now my heart's alight. 

(Carolling is heard in the distance. It comes 
nearer. Azariah finally hears it, jumps to 
his feet, puts on another log at the fire.) 



24 FIAT LUX 

More light. 

More light and warmth ! 

(Goes to door, throivs it open wide and calls) 

Come in, 

Come in to light and warmth. 

(Ambrose and the Waits enter, Ambrose 
looking curiously at the changed Azariah. 
The Waits gather about the fire luarming 
their hands. Azariah looks at Waits and 
goes to door and looks out. Turning) 

Azariah 

Where are the little lame girl and the soldier? 

Ambrose 

What lame girl and what soldier? 
We know of no such persons. 

Azariah 

But surely you have met the little lame girl, 

So like my Nellie? 

You all remember Nellie? 

(Waits nod their heads) 
She went up the path some time ago, 
And just now, not quite five minutes since, 
The soldier — not unlike my David — 
Went whistling out to meet you. 
Surely, surely you have seen them both, 
There is but one path up the mountain side? 



Waits 



No, no. 

We have seen no one. 



FIAT LUX 25 

Ambrose 
You must have dreamed it, brother. 

AZARIAH 

No, do not say that ; 

No it was no dream. 

The little girl was lame, 

I gave her Nellie's crutch. 

Go, follow the small crutch marks in the snow. 

They are so tiny, 

But they sink almost as deep in the white snow 

As in a father's heart. 

{Tivo or three Waits go out) 
(AZARIAH grasps Ambrose by the arm) 

I did not dream. 

And you are sure that you passed no one? 

Think, oh think what this would mean to me. 

The little lame girl and the boy so like my 
David. 

Ambrose 

(Looking at him and much moved) 
I understand, 
I understand, 

(Makifig the sign of the cross) 
God has been with you on this holy night. 

Waits 

(Returning) 
There are no crutch marks in the snow, 
And we have circled all about the house. 



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018 394 492 




26 FIAT LUX 

AZARIAH 

No marks, 

No marks? 

Oh God, let it be true ! 

(He looks to the corner tvJiere the crutch 
stood.) 

There is no crutch; it's gone. 

See, see, the crutch is gone. 

It was no dream. 

David, Nellie, 

Oh God be thanked. 

This place is holy ground. 

(Sinks on his knees. Ambrose beckons the 
Waits to the door and they tip-toe out, 
Ambrose last, making the sign of the cross. 
As he closes the door the carolling bursts 
forth in a joyous song, "Come All Ye Faith- 
ful." Slowly AZARIAH rises from his knees, 
goes to the door, opens it, and stands listen- 
ing as the carolling dies aivay in the dis- 
tance.) 

(Curtain) 



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